


A Path Paved In Ice

by ArkAngel1179



Series: A Path Paved In Ice [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Feel-good, Female Haku, Fluff and Family, Multi, Romance, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-05
Updated: 2014-04-04
Packaged: 2018-01-18 05:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1416817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArkAngel1179/pseuds/ArkAngel1179
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Up until Naruto is a few years away from going into the academy he finds someone. Someone who understands him better than any other. Will this person change things for the better? Or worst? Follow Naruto on his way to see how this person changes everything and how he becomes something even greater. FemHaku/Naruto, Tenten/Naruto. That's it for pairings.</p>
<p>Beta-readers: BrownEyedHoneybadger &  Yuuki Usea</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've always been enamored and curious about the rather infamous section that was Haku and Naruto, and then Tenten and Haku. So I read. And read. And read... At the end of my search, after long hours, days, weeks, of reading--and those fics were long--I couldn't find the story that I absolutely loved. Then the idea hit me... Why couldn't I just write my own story?! 
> 
> That's how this story came to be, I suppose. I can only hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it, and continue writing it. 
> 
> This story is also posted on Fanfiction.net and if possible go ahead and check me out there as well, I'm under the same username, there's also plenty more content there for you to enjoy!
> 
> On with the show!

Naruto could've sworn his floor shook under him or that his walls groaned around him. He could almost hear the barricade blocking his door tumbling forward as he hid under his worn bed in the other room. The shadows snuggled him in a comforting embrace offering false asylum. His arms hugged his knees fleetingly, trying to aid his shivering form every time a crash or roar sounded in the musty lit room.

It was hell. There was no other word for his situation, no verb or noun could possibly explain it as well. What he did to deserve such treatment was beyond his comprehension. 

The door crashed and Naruto pressed himself to the cracked wall to hide himself further, the shadows jealously coating him in the comfort of the dark. 

It was almost frightening how fast some of the villagers rampaged through, and how fast they seem to forget where most children hide in blind fear. Not that it mattered. Naruto had left a well planned trail away from the apartment and back out into the streets for such an occasion. After all, when idiots charge through they don't expect a child to be able to lure them away. They expect the obvious. It had worked in the past and he'd hope it'd work again.

Naruto's breath became shallower as footsteps neared him. The deep drum of each lumbering collision pulsated as if the beating heart of a drum were just five feet away from his bed, from his asylum. Then the voice of a woman came from deeper in, perhaps the kitchen. 

“Have you found the demon yet?”

The feet stopped in front of him and a deep bellowing voice answered, “Not yet,” his voice sounded deep, yet hoarse, probably from all the yelling they did outside, "He's...!"

A pause. 

"He's probably gone. I can't find him!" 

“There's no way he's already gone!” The woman said, her voice sounded ragged, almost like the mans, “We've all been right outside his door, there's no chance he got out!” 

Naruto chanced flicking his eyes to and fro to see where everyone was and he deduced, with a little timing, that they were ready for it. Behind him trembled a rope just waiting to unleash, but Naruto waited terrifically before deciding to trigger one of his traps. Hopefully they would take it as him trying to run out. “You remember last year right?” No response. The woman must've nodded. “Right, so if you do than you should remember that he ran out the kitchen window last time. It's footsteps told that much.” 

The woman sighed, “Huh, alright. Just make sure that you check under the bed. Never know if the little demon is hiding under there.”

This time Naruto saw the man's feet turn to him. It was time. Naruto released a rope near him from it's simplistic knot and a loud crash echoed from his bathroom. He knew no-one was in there because he heard no footsteps and if they were. Well he had another plan.

The man's feet in front him clobbered to face his bathroom with a certain rage to it.

“Hey! Did you hear that!” 

Another pair of feet came closer and into his sights as he prayed to whoever was up there that they would take the bait. “Please, go. Please, leave!” Naruto whispered hopefully.

After five minutes spent listening to the rumblings and ramblings of the villagers in his apartment silence came along with his best-friend out of one of the mirrors in his bathroom. 

“Naruto, they're gone.” 

Deep blue eyes opened slightly to widen at the sight of his best-friend's own dark-brown ones. The girl could sense his confusion apparently and decided to clarify, “Remember Naruto, I can manipulate and create ice and if I so choose I can even enter it.”

"I didn't leave you, and never will," she whispered gently.

Naruto nodded and smiled shortly. The girl reached under and pulled him out before holding him close. She really was the only one who understood him, in his opinion. His pseudo Jiji couldn't, he wasn't there often enough—he was Hokage after all. Ayame-nee and Teuchi-san couldn't, they could only see his happy facade when he visited their stand. Iruka came close because of his own orphanage, but also couldn't in the end because of his own lack of experience with dealing with, this. 

Naruto scrunched his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around the girls waist all the while burrowing himself in the crook of her neck. He could feel her put her chin on the back part of his head in a comforting gesture. 

“Promise me something.” Naruto muffled out. 

The girl held him tighter. “Yes?”

“Please don't ever leave, Haku.” Naruto didn't need to hear her answer for he knew her response by heart now. He could only guess he needed reassurance from time to time.

Haku chuckled, “I promise.” 

Nearing dusk Naruto and Haku laid together in his bed with him closest to the wall with Haku's arms entangling themselves around him in a soft embrace. Haku preferred it that way Naruto guessed. It was her idea to when she first came to witness long ago. She'd said that she'd 'act as his shield on his darkest nights' and the same for her. He would stay in their little fortress and would stay sheltered by the wall and her. A protective cocoon she'd joked.

Naruto turned his head to gaze a second or two to meet her own. Staring serenely she slowly grew to garner the smallest of smiles on her face before resting and closing her own. He looked further at her hellish black hair contrasting her beautifully pale skin and before he knew it he found himself looking further down at her usual nightwear. A pink shirt with matching modest shorts.

Naruto blushed momentarily.

What is wrong with me? Every time I look at her my face heats up and I swear my heart skips a beat.

Shaking his head Naruto looked back up and wriggled himself around until he was facing her fully. Taking an extra dose of needless courage Naruto wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close until there was no more room between them. 

Naruto's breath hitched at the sound of her voice. “Naruto, promise me something.”

“Anything.” Naruto said.

“Never leave me.” 

He smiled and held her closer. “Of course”

After a short moment of silence Haku wrapped one leg around Naruto and looked up. Naruto was about to ask what she was doing, but was silenced after Haku gingerly kissed his cheek causing his face to redden and her to smile. She giggled a second at him simply from how comical he looked.

“Tomorrow's the first day at the academy, Naruto.” Haku exclaimed softly, breaking Naruto from his embarrassment. 

Naruto nodded. “I know. I wonder how people will react when they see us.”

“Who knows. I just hope that we get put in the same class.”

“I know. After all the trouble Jiji went through to clear your name I'd hope we were.”

“Yeah... Hey, how did Hokage-sama do that anyways?”

Naruto shrugged. “I asked him and he said it wasn't difficult but said it was also not easy either. He said something about,” Naruto raised his voice to a superficial tone, “a little girl being capable of traveling along with 'The Demon of The Bloody Mist' was next to ridiculous!”

Haku giggled gently and closed her eyes. “Good night, Naruto.”

“Good night, Haku.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Up until Naruto is a few years away from going into the academy he finds someone. Someone who understands him better than any other. Will this person change things for the better? Or worst? Follow Naruto on his way to see how this person changes everything and how he becomes something even greater. FemHaku/Naruto, Tenten/Naruto. That's it for pairings.
> 
> Beta-readers: BrownEyedHoneybadger & Yuuki Usea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always been enamored and curious about the rather infamous section that was Haku and Naruto, and then Tenten and Haku. So I read. And read. And read... At the end of my search, after long hours, days, weeks, of reading--and those fics were long--I couldn't find the story that I absolutely loved. Then the idea hit me... Why couldn't I just write my own story?!
> 
> That's how this story came to be, I suppose. I can only hope that you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it, and continue writing it.
> 
> This story is also posted on Fanfiction.net and if possible go ahead and check me out there as well, I'm under the same username, there's also plenty more content there for you to enjoy!
> 
> On with the show!

Shining lights broke through the window in a spark, fighting the darkness away from the two bodies lying in the small room. The cracked walls gave permission to have shadows cast upon them as the sun rose through waking Haku.

The raven haired girl lifted her head slightly to wince at the painful sight of the sun. She turned her head away slightly and brought herself up to block out the sun with her free hand. 

I wonder...

Haku looked down towards Naruto and gently touched his shoulder before attempting to shake him a tad harder. Haku furrowed her brow slightly and looked over towards Naruto's face up-close. Smirking Haku saw him silently snore with a little puddle of drool on his pillow. 

Haku stood and looked towards the clock as she stretched. 

Hm, six-forty five...

After she finished stretching Haku pondered for a moment on whether she should use a trick she picked up when she first started living there or if she should simply shake him awake. Frankly, it was obvious. She'd go with the former, just because she wanted to see how Naruto would respond. Whether he grew out of the habit or not was up for debate, but Haku didn't care.

Gently turning on the stove Haku put on a pot full of water and began making some ramen. If she made it well than she'd be killing two birds with one stone meaning an awake and fed Naruto. Not to say he couldn't wake up on his own. She just enjoyed doing this more.

A few minutes later and the ramen was done Haku picked a bowl, filled it, and went over to a still sleeping Naruto. Haku placed the bowl on the nightstand beside the bed. Now it was a waiting game to see whether Naruto would wake up because of the aroma or if he would sleep through it. 

Though Haku gave special attention to his nose. Whenever that nose of his started twitching sporadically and that special little sniffing sound would come out meant something good would happen. Haku smirked. Either way Naruto would end up awake and fed.

In the end, it didn't take long because once his nose picked up the scent and that magical little sniffing sound came his eyes opened wide. 

“Hey Haku!” Naruto said drowsily.

Haku just smiled coyly as he looked around. “Do you smell that?”

Naruto looked at Haku strangely and wondered why she wasn't saying anything until he noticed where she was looking. Turning his head to where she was silently gesturing to Naruto chuckled finally getting why. “Thanks” Naruto said as he picked up the bowl.

Looking over Naruto went up and grabbed Haku's hand and simply walked them over to his small dining table where he looked at the pot on the stove. “Did you make enough for yourself?” Naruto asked.

“I made enough for you, Naruto!”

Naruto raised his brow in mock curiosity. “Aren't you going to have any?”

Haku shook her head. “I won't, though you enjoy! I'll make something for myself later!”

Instead of trying to convince her through normal means Naruto picked a more... practical one. He looked over to the clock on the wall and said, “How are you going to make something else in ten minutes?”

“I could just eat something during lunch.” 

“Haku please just eat with me here. Take some of the ramen you made and eat it.”

Silent eyes just stared at him trying to find an answer. With a sigh Haku trudged over to the pot and took a bowl before she started eating with him. “Thank you.” 

Strangely enough as it is after Zabuza essentially abandoned her she transferred her master-servant fetish to Naruto and ever since he had found her almost two years ago she'd developed this troubling mentality where she is essentially a tool and nothing more. 

It didn't take much to assume that Zabuza had tried to make her an emotionless puppet, but after living with Naruto for so long she mellowed out. However every once in a while Haku would revert to her old self—a relapse of sorts—comparable to how Haku treated him a few months after his finding her.

Haku just looked at him in between one of her bites. “Well, after we're done eating we should get dressed quickly and head off to the academy.” 

“Alright.”

Haku snapped her fingers at Naruto shortly. “And don't you dare wear that orange jumpsuit of yours.” Haku said, “I know you love that color, but you won't be loving it long after people start making fun of you because of it.” 

He just nodded. Ever since she moved in with him she'd found that he favored the color orange for some odd reason, and after she found he wanted to be a ninja upon her asking she'd begun scolding him continuously in an overall attempt to rid her young friend of the 'kill me' color. If he said he didn't want to be a ninja... well she wouldn't have minded since there was nothing saying a civilian couldn't wear such clothing. On the other hand for ninja, it just wasn't in the job description to get yourself caught. 

Her progress on getting him out of those clothes however was ultimately abysmal at best. Naruto just couldn't leave the apartment without some kind of orange hanging off of him.

Haku bucked her head after her last bite of ramen in rapt excitement. She had an idea.

“Naruto.” 

He turned from his trip to their bedroom and locked eyes with her in a questioning glance. 

“Would you feel comfortable with not wearing the jumpsuit if you had something smaller to have orange on?”

Naruto shrugged. “Yeah, why?”

“In that case we can stop by a store real quick to pick up a necklace, or perhaps some bracers.” Haku softly exclaimed. There was no hiding the excitement in her voice or the slight smile on her face. 

Naruto chuckled, “Alright.”

Walking down the road they weaved through the crowd with a slyness to them that some may think them to be master's of evasion, judging by how many people the two kids would slip by without so much as a light tap of the foot as the only evidence they were there. 

Normally when Naruto would begin to join the crowd on any other day they'd give special attention by giving him a wide berth accompanied with harsh glares or the guttural sound of swearing. That was not the case for them now. Since his birthday he received a blank mask almost exactly like Haku's and had taken to wearing it as often as he could. The mask was special, he guessed; the top had a Konoha symbol on top, and two apparent seals etched into either side of the mask. When asked, Haku said that she'd had it taken to some seal master far out and had intended to use it herself before his appearance. As for the Konoha symbol... she have painted that on herself because from her tales of when she traveled she'd said that her birthplace was named Kiri and she'd use to have the symbol on top of her mask as well. Now though, her mask remained identical to the one Naruto wore. 

Essentially when asked why Haku had even worn one in the first place she'd tell him that she'd need to wear a mask to hide her identity in order to avoid being caught by individuals looking for Zabuza, and by proxy her. 

“Naruto, we're almost there!”

Snapping out of his own revelry Naruto grasped his mask and pulled it up. “How the heck do you breath in this thing!”

“You'll get used to it, but Naruto did you hear what I just said?” 

“Yeah, we're almost there.” Haku nodded.

Arriving at the entrance of the huge building they'd spotted several children walking in leaving several more outside. Taking the moment Haku brought herself to Naruto slowly before carefully adjusting the dark orange gloves in a ploy to settle it's unkempt look—and maybe her nerves a little. 

Naruto smiled and looked down to her small pale hands. She'd always do this. Every-time she'd get nervous over something she'd start to dote on him in one form or another. This time though Haku apparently wanted to play the mother hen sending her child off to school, even though she was going too.

He chuckled and looked at her usual clothes. From what she'd told him in passing, apparently she'd always worn the same uniform and in fact had several pairs for some of those just in case moments.

Looking at his own Naruto found that her hands had left his own and had begun adjusting all the clothes on him in an attempt to make it look the way she thought it should. His black no sleeve shirt was first, then the standard shinobi pants were second, and finally going all the way to just glance at his sandals quickly before she took the orange necklace she bought him in her hands and strung it around his neck.

“Thanks.” Haku said grabbing his hand.

Naruto just nodded slightly as he was led inside and to the office real quick to find out where his Jiji placed him. 

“Alright class my name is Umino Iruka and for the next four years you will all be under my tutelage!” Iruka said. “In this class there will be lessons in overall theory, history, mathematics, language, taijutsu, weapons training, and finally ninjutsu. If you do this right than I promise that you'll all pass and go on to be great shinobi and kunoichi!”

This is gonna be a long four years then...

Naruto looked to his right to Haku sitting directly next to him. He was glad that Jiji had put them in the same class. It wouldn't have been much fun otherwise. Another bonus definitely was having Iruka as a teacher. He'd known him since he was much younger and had started to look up to the scarred man in a light akin to that of a brother.

Haku raised her hand and pointed at Naruto surprising him before she gestured back to the front. Naruto huffed a little before looking forward again, he must've lost himself for a while. Looking around again he saw several children he already knew of in passing. There names were... Tenten, Neji, Rock Lee, Kiba, Hinata, and Shikamaru. Any other's he hadn't met yet , but maybe soon. He'd seen one guy in particular have several girls around him squealing. That was one guy he didn't like. As far as reputations went he had the biggest, however he still didn't know his name. 

That day was generally a course introduction day. The next—from what Iruka said—was for introducing the students to one another. More teamwork in bonds he said. “If you focus more on letting someone get to know someone than the relationship will be stronger. That's why we have on day dedicated to just introducing people and less on the lessons. It's an easier transition and makes the atmosphere much more comfortable to learn in later on.

After that the lessons had gone relatively fast with lunch time being even quicker since no one bothered to come sit near him or Haku. Though every few minutes he'd find a pair of lavender eyes boring into him from somewhere across the clearing where Haku and him sat. Creepy...

Naruto thought that maybe some may want to try and sit with him, but it didn't seem to be so at this point, even with the shade.. That in itself was disappointing to a degree, he sincerely thought people may get tired of the sun and may want to rest for a moment under the comfort of the dark. No conversation needed. Just someone to acknowledge them, momentarily. 

Later, when Naruto asked his best-friend about why no-one was sitting with them she'd said, “Naruto, do you remember how people on the street treat you?” He nodded. “Well there's a chance that they've passed this on in one form or another to their children. Even though it's unlikely it's bound to happen when their child mentions you to them.” 

Naruto sighed, he understood. For some reason all his life he'd been scorned for something. He'd never known what it was but it certainly didn't help his confidence since every-time he made a friend they'd be gone the next day. He'd only pray that Haku didn't get taken from him.

“Well Naruto,” Haku said, offering him a hand, “I think it's time we go.”

He looked up from his position under the tree and nodded calmly.

A little later when Naruto started to open his door he heard Haku say, “You know, I'm wondering whether we'll be put under the same team.” 

“I hope so.”

“Hey, do you want me to teach you how to use senbons?


End file.
